Cheaper By The Dozen

Despite being a "by the numbers" remake of the 1950 classic family film, this loosely based remake of Cheaper by the Dozen has it's own charm, and Fox has delivered a movie that will please most viewers, especially the younger generations. You can't really call Cheaper by the Dozen a remake. All this film has in common with the 1950 family classic is the title, the 12 children, and the fact that both films are in color. Consider the portrayals of the two fathers: The original's Frank Gilbreth (Clifton Webb) was an efficiency expert who ran his household with a precise and authoritative hand; Tom Baker (Steve Martin), meanwhile, is predictably bumbling and overwhelmed when left in charge when his author wife, Mary (Bonnie Hunt), departs for a book tour - at a bad time. The family is experiencing a rocky transition after moving from their small town to a prominent college, where alumnus Martin has been has installed as the new football coach. You'd think a coach would have instilled discipline in his household. You might also think his kids would rally around their dad as he pursues his dream job, but this undisciplined bunch terrorizes babysitters and even spreads their chaos next door to the snobby neighbors. There are the inevitable tugs at the heartstrings, as the standard-issue misfit son (teasingly called Fed-Ex by his siblings) runs away, and the increasingly estranged mom and dad learn that they cannot have it all.